SK Standard Plus 175 Yards+ - Good Enough?

[-Doug-]

Before you continue reading this post let me start of by saying I am aware that different rifles prefer different ammo so everyone’s mileage may vary when it comes to ammo selection.

My 457 Varmint happens to love SK Standard Plus (yellow box) at 50 yards - consistent 0.5” groups with the occasional 0.3 and 0.2” thrown in there and as expected a 0.6” sneaks in which I don’t know if it’s my fault or ammo but for the most part I’d say 0.5” at 50 yards.

At 100 yards my 10shot groups are respectable depending on what the wind is doing that day but I’ve seen just over an inch as my best.

What I am curious about is how SK Standard holds itself once you start reach out to 175, 200, 225….etc yards.

I’d like to know for the purpose of NRL, CRPS shooting.
I have no idea of group sizes past 100 but I would like to know if anyone has details similar to the following:

Example: At 200 yards I can manage a 4” group with SK Standard but if I am shooting SK Long Range groups drop down to 2”…..etc

From a budget perspective a brick of SK Standard falls about $40 less than LRM and significantly less than some of the other higher end stuff. Once again this is subjective to each rifle but on average:
-how does SK Standard perform at extended ranges (175 yards plus)?
-how does it compare to more expensive ammo?
-can it still hold its own for NRL purposes given target sizes and dimensions?

If SK LRM or high end ammo can consistently shoot 2” smaller groups than SK at extended ranges that’s potentially 1-2” more wiggle room on a bad shoot.

Let me know your experience

 

[grauhanen]

Before you continue reading this post let me start of by saying I am aware that different rifles prefer different ammo so everyone’s mileage may vary when it comes to ammo selection.

My 457 Varmint happens to love SK Standard Plus (yellow box) at 50 yards - consistent 0.5” groups with the occasional 0.3 and 0.2” thrown in there and as expected a 0.6” sneaks in which I don’t know if it’s my fault or ammo but for the most part I’d say 0.5” at 50 yards.

At 100 yards my 10shot groups are respectable depending on what the wind is doing that day but I’ve seen just over an inch as my best.

What I am curious about is how SK Standard holds itself once you start reach out to 175, 200, 225….etc yards.

I’d like to know for the purpose of NRL, CRPS shooting.
I have no idea of group sizes past 100 but I would like to know if anyone has details similar to the following:

Example: At 200 yards I can manage a 4” group with SK Standard but if I am shooting SK Long Range groups drop down to 2”…..etc

With many .22LR shooters, a lot of entry level ammos are "good enough". It's not like taking the car to the shop and the mechanic who finishes the brake job says "That's good enough". It's also not like the passenger aircraft mechanic saying that the repairs are "good enough".

It's important to understand that picking ammo for your rifle is not about finding the brand your rifle likes. With match ammo it's never about the make of ammo or the variety (e.g. SK Standard Plus vs SK Rifle Match or SK LRM). All .22LR match ammo will vary by lot or batch. With entry level match ammo like SK, there will be considerable variation between lots -- and even within lots.

What this means is the SK lot you get today may be quite different than the one you get next month.

____________________________

Regarding ammo performance at 50 vs 100 vs longer distances, there's no way to know how an ammo that shoots well at 50 yards will do at longer distances without testing it. It's not determined by make or variety. It's not determined by whether or not it says Long Range somewhere on the packaging. It's determined by factors independent of ammo make and variety.

First of all, ammo that does well at longer distances must also do well at shorter ones (.22LR performance gets worse and worse with distance). Ammo that does well at 50 (but not necessarily the best at 50) has a better chance of doing well at longer distances than ammo that doesn't.

What determines how an ammo will do at longer distances has more to do with the performance of individual lots of ammo. For example, some lots of match ammo will do well as distances increases, while others will not -- even ammos of the same variety -- e.g. SK Long Range.

____________________________

The final question from the example in the OP is will using SK LR reduce your groups down to 2" from the 4" you get with SK+?

The answer is probably not. No one can say how your rifle will shoot with a random lot of any ammo at 50 yards, let alone at 200.

 

[-Doug-]

Insightful reply - paper testing at further ranges is in the works for sure.
I’ve even done some lot testing at 50yards with SK Standard have seen some minor differences.

Last year was my first year competing in NRL matches - I noticed a lot of LRM, Eley and Lapua.
Not to many shooters were using SK Standard. I know SK Standard is considered entry level match grade so I’m curious what sort of differences people who have shot it and some of the higher end stuff have seen with their CZs.

I will need to do my own testing for sure.
Also curious if my rifle not having a match grade chamber will negate any potential benefit of higher end ammo.

 

[Mystic Precision]

With LR rimfire testing, you must count EVERY SHOT. It is not the shots IN the group that matter... it is the ones OUT of the group that you track. Said another way, I don't care what the best group may be, I only care about the worst groups and the spread/flyers.

Testing at 100yds is a great start... get some SK rifle match and Lapua centerX. SK LRM may also be a good one to test... barrels are fussy sometimes.

Do 3X5rds for each type of ammo using a 1" target as your benchmark... toss 5 into the dirt when you switch ammo types before going on target. Count ALL the shots and it will get real obvious why we use the higher grade ammo in competitions.

Rimfire ammo is produced and labeled on a falling grade basis. Cheaper it is, the more 'fun' in each box. Yes, you can get lucky and find a better shooting lot but I wouldn't rely on this.

The further you go, the more obvious these problems get... so after you have found your best 2 or 3 types, test at 200 and 300yds. Only 1 will survive at the furthest distance.

For reference, I practise with SK Rifle match... and compete with Lapua CenterX. If you have a bunch of SK Std+, use that for practise, but I would encourage you go look at a higher grade for competition especially for CRPS matches. If you want to get decent at this game, you are going to need to put alot of practise in so it really doesn't matter what you have now, it will not last.

Don't be shy to practise with stuff like Blazer at short range (inside 100yds, 55yds for me)... if budget is a concern, then find an inexpensive "good enough" and just get out practising. Worry about the longer shots once you learn HOW to deal with the props.

Jerry

 

[Bubbafett33]

If your rifle likes SK Standard, it will love SK Rifle Match.

According to Geoff Esterline, director of marketing for Capstone Precision Group, which handles SK’s marketing here in the U.S., SK produces just two different loads with the 40-#grain round-nose .22 projectile. One is factory rated at 1,073 feet per second (fps), the other at 1,106 fps.

“Each production run is sorted by quality, measured through accuracy and group size at 50 meters from their lot acceptance testing tunnel with a return-to-battery-style test fixture,” said Esterline. “The best-shooting 1,073-fps ammunition is packaged into SK Rifle Match. And it’s equivalent in the 1,106 fps variant is the new SK Long Range Match.

“These are the two best performers,” Esterline said. “From there, you work down. Second-best quality for 1,073 fps is SK Standard Plus, then Pistol Match and lastly Magazine. Second-best quality for 1,106 fps is Biathlon Sport, then Pistol Match Special.”​

From here.

 

[-Doug-]

Interesting - I have tested 3 different lots of Rifle Match and all 3 of them did not shoot as well as any lot of SK Standard Plus in my rifle.

My CZ also shot Eley contact, sport and club poorly compared to SK standard (at both 50 and 100 yards).
I have some LRM which I will compare against standard plus.

If your rifle likes SK Standard, it will love SK Rifle Match.

According to Geoff Esterline, director of marketing for Capstone Precision Group, which handles SK’s marketing here in the U.S., SK produces just two different loads with the 40-#grain round-nose .22 projectile. One is factory rated at 1,073 feet per second (fps), the other at 1,106 fps.

“Each production run is sorted by quality, measured through accuracy and group size at 50 meters from their lot acceptance testing tunnel with a return-to-battery-style test fixture,” said Esterline. “The best-shooting 1,073-fps ammunition is packaged into SK Rifle Match. And it’s equivalent in the 1,106 fps variant is the new SK Long Range Match.

“These are the two best performers,” Esterline said. “From there, you work down. Second-best quality for 1,073 fps is SK Standard Plus, then Pistol Match and lastly Magazine. Second-best quality for 1,106 fps is Biathlon Sport, then Pistol Match Special.”​

From here.

 

[grauhanen]

It's important for shooters to be aware that even though SK Rifle Match is "graded" as "better" than SK Standard Plus it doesn't mean that SK Rifle Match is a sure thing to be much better. Most lots should be a little better, but they are still not very consistent.

Generally speaking, all SK ammo varieties are, more or less, entry level ammos. Some cost more than others, but they should not be relied on to have great consistency, which is more and more important as distance increases.

Below are two sets of targets shot last season. They are ten shot groups at 100 yards with random lots of SK Rifle Match. All targets were shot consecutively.

Note the variation in results which means you can get some good results, but it's hard to avoid the ones that aren't. Every box of SK should be expected to have a number of rounds that don't behave as desired.

First random lot.

Second random lot.

 

[skwerl]

Interesting - I have tested 3 different lots of Rifle Match and all 3 of them did not shoot as well as any lot of SK Standard Plus in my rifle.

My CZ also shot Eley contact, sport and club poorly compared to SK standard (at both 50 and 100 yards).
I have some LRM which I will compare against standard plus.

Hey Doug

I start my rifles ''on'' SK Std. + , all of them (CZ , Anchutz , Cooper)
shoot acceptably well , (same lot 5000 case , all flyers are consistant)

As Glenn & Jerry write , lot testing is the only way to
achieve more consistant accuracy .